While people often believe that the media is there to simply inform them about what is going on in the world, this is not always the case. Instead, there is often a hidden agenda and what the media focuses on is therefore intended to create a certain reaction. At times, it can be relatively easy to notice when they are doing this and at others, it will happen without one being able to notice what is taking place. This is not to say that everyone is oblivious to what is taking place; as it will all depend on how aware they are, but what it does mean is that some things are more subtle than others.Beliefs There are going to be certain beliefs that cause people to accept everything they see, hear or read and these will stop them from able to think critically about what they are being exposed to. One of these beliefs is that everything the media sells is the truth. This is going to mean that one doesn’t question the media; they simply accept everything blindly. Another belief is that that the media is only there to let people know what is happening. Based on this, it is just a witness to what is taking place in the world; nothing more nothing less.Agenda The media, like everyone on this planet, has an agenda. This is part of being human and therefore doesn’t make one person or a group of people ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. What makes the difference is what someone’s intention is and this means it is possible for someone to have an intention to cause harm or confusion for instance. And when it comes to the media, the source that people look towards to be educated about what is taking place in the world, people are going to expect to be informed and not misinformed or manipulated.Taken For A Ride But to expect the truth form the mainstream media would not only be naive, it would also set one up to be taken advantage of. If what they covered was put to one side and people were allowed to focus on what was behind the stories, they would probably find that there is a plan. And what people read about in the paper, watch on TV or hear on the radio, is then nothing more than a means to an end. What they cover is then not as important as what it leads to or what they hope it will lead to.Critical Thinking For many years now, people have been conditioned to believe what the media sells them and so, there hasn’t been much opposition. But fortunately, people are gradually realising that the media can’t always be trusted and this has lead to alternative media outlets being created. However, this is a fairly recent occurrence and there are still plenty of people who are still being manipulated by the media. Division And one way to distract people from what is really taking place in the world or in their own country, is to turn people against each other. Through doing this, people are unable to focus on what truly matters or what the real problems are. If people were not fighting each other, they would have more time and energy to focus on what the real problems are. And when people are fighting each other, it is a lot easier to control them, as the saying goes - ‘divide and conquer’. Not only that, if more people knew what the real problems were then a lot more could be done. But all the time they are being distracted by the media, they are going to have no idea what the real problems are. Stagnation The public’s attention is then placed on what the media presents as the problem, and this means that the real issues are rarely, if ever, looked at. And if people do wake up to what is actually taking place, it won’t be long before they will supply another distraction. What they present as being the problem will have some truth to it; if it didn’t, people wouldn’t be drawn in by it. The media’s coverage is also likely to be backed up by certain programs that focus on the same problems.Emotional Reaction This then causes people to have an emotional reaction and this means that their ability to think clearly can disappear. For some people, this emotional reaction will be moderated by their mind. And as a result of this, they will be able to know if their emotional reactions are appropriate. But if one doesn’t utilize their ability to think and to question whether their emotional reactions are appropriate, it is going to mean that the media is controlling them. They have then given their power away to the media and are no longer in control of themselves..Awareness And this is why critical thinking is one of the most important skills that someone can have in the modern day world. This is something that one can learn by themselves and as they develop this ability, they will have more control over what they allow or don’t allow into their mind.

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